(PLACER COUNTY, Calif.) — A fast-moving wildfire scorching through Northern California has destroyed dozens of homes and is creating dangerous smoke conditions in regions farther north.
The Mosquito Fire has burned through nearly 49,000 acres and has gutted at least 25 single occupancy residences in El Dorado and Placer counties since it sparked on Sept. 6, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The fire, which is only 16% contained, could worsen as strong southwest winds bring drier air on Tuesday, fire officials said.
More than 11,000 people in the region have been ordered to evacuate. Both the El Dorado and Tahoe National Forests are closed because of the Mosquito Fire, officials said.
The fire is so intense that the smoke being emitted is producing hazardous air quality conditions for states farther north and east. A red flag warning in Wyoming has been issued due to winds gusting up to 30 mph and humidity levels as low as 10%.
Large plumes of smoke were seen covering the city of Reno, Nevada, in a time-lapse video posted to Twitter on Sunday by the National Weather Service’s Reno office. The smoke lingered in the Tahoe Basin through at least Monday, according to NWS.
More than 2,600 firefighters worked overnight Monday to build and strengthen control lines surrounding the largest portion of the blaze, according to Cal Fire.
“Firefighters are remaining vigilant on the southern edge of the fire to ensure that there is no threat of escape,” a bulletin for the Mosquito Fire stated.
Nationwide, more than 6.7 million acres of land have burned this year, with most of the fires concentrated in the Northwest, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. More than 43,000 of those fires were sparked by people, while just 6,341 were sparked by lightning, according to the Fire Center.
Bone-dry landscapes as a result of a decadeslong megadrought in the West is exacerbating the fire danger, causing dehydrated vegetation to act as fuel for the flames.
ABC News’ Marilyn Heck contributed to this report.
(LAS VEGAS) — A co-worker of the Nevada county official charged with murder in the stabbing death of a journalist investigating turmoil in his office called the reporter a “hero” to her and her colleagues.
Rita Reid spoke out in an interview aired Tuesday on ABC’s Good Morning America, praising slain journalist Jeff German of the Las Vegas Review-Journal for exposing the hostile work environment she said she and her colleagues endured under the leadership of Clark County Public Administrator Robert Telles, who is now charged with murder in German’s death.
“His death was absolutely devastating to myself and my coworkers, the people that he advocated for,” Reid said of German. “He was our hero.”
German, 69, was found fatally stabbed outside his home Sept. 3, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Telles blamed German’s reporting for ruining his career in politics and his marriage, prosecutors said.
Reid said that when she learned that German had been killed, “My first thought was Robert Telles.”
She alleged that Telles was responsible for the hostile work environment in her office that German exposed.
“He came into my office several times in a rage,” Reid alleged of Telles. “You saw stress every day in multiple employees and it just became worse and worse.”
She said she eventually became so appalled by Telles’ alleged behavior, that she and her co-workers approached German and blew the whistle on Telles.
“So, we decided that we would go public. We would try to talk to a journalist here in our community and see if somebody felt it was worthy of reporting,” Reid said. “I guess maybe I felt there might be an encounter one day or an altercation, a verbal altercation. But I could never have imagined this.”
Reid worked under Telles as an assistant public administrator and ran against him in the June Democratic primary, beating the embattled incumbent.
Telles’ defeat followed an investigation by German in the Review-Journal that exposed turmoil in his office and accusations of bullying, retaliation and an “inappropriate relationship” between Telles and a staffer.
Telles denied fostering a toxic work environment and claimed allegations that he was having an inappropriate relationship with an employee were not true.
“He (German) lost his life to make our office, our department, our government agency a better place and to provide better service for our community,” Reid said on GMA. “So, I mean we can never thank him enough.”
The 45-year-old Telles, who had been the Clark County Public Administrator since 2018, was formally charged on Monday with murder with a deadly weapon where the victim is 60 years of age or older.
Telles made a brief appearance in court Tuesday morning handcuffed and wearing jail-issued clothes. Judge William Jansen granted a motion filed by Telles’ attorney, Travis Shetler, to postpone the arraignment until Sept. 20.
Telles has yet to enter a plea to the charges. His attorney did not respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
In a criminal complaint, prosecutors alleged German’s killing was “wilful, deliberate and premeditated.”
Telles was arrested Wednesday following a SWAT operation at his home, officials said, after DNA evidence was found under German’s fingernails that linked him to the homicide, prosecutors said.
A judge ordered that Telles be held without bail in Clark County Jail after noting the steps Telles allegedly took to cover up his crimes, including casing German’s neighborhood for more than an hour, leaving his cellphone at home and dressing in disguise.
Police said the day before German’s death, Telles was seen approaching German’s home, where he allegedly had an altercation with him.
On the day of the slaying, Telles was dressed in disguise, which police described him as wearing a straw hat and reflective vest. Telles allegedly stabbed the reporter seven times before fleeing, prosecutors said.
Police focused on Telles because of his anger over stories written by German, officials said during a press conference Thursday. Then they found a vehicle outside Telles’ home that matched the suspect’s vehicle.
In an article published in May in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, German wrote: “The Clark County Public Administrator’s office has been mired in turmoil and internal dissension over the past two years, with allegations of emotional stress, bullying and favoritism leading to secret videotaping of the boss and a co-worker outside the office.”
He reported that “a half-dozen current and former employees interviewed by the Review-Journal are alleging the hostile work environment was fueled by the elected administrator of the office, Robert Telles, carrying on an ‘inappropriate relationship’ with a staffer that has harmed the office’s ability to deal with the public in overseeing the estates of those who have died.”
ABC News’ Alex Stone and Josh Margolin contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Americans are finally starting to see the red-hot rental market begin to cool off, after record growth.
A combination of strong demand, low supply and high inflation have kept pressure on rental prices nationwide, but for the first time in 20 months, asking rental prices saw negative growth, falling 0.1% from July to August, according to CoStar Group.
CoStar Group, a provider of online real estate marketplaces, information and analytics, said this points toward a “deteriorating rental market” in its report.
It is welcome relief for renters who have seen their rents rise while dealing with inflation.
Rent prices climbed during the first half of 2022, hitting a national average of $2,495, according to HouseCanary’s National Rental Report.
While rental prices are still rising year-over-year, the pace of growth is slowing. Asking rents fell to 7.1% in August, down from 8.4% at the end of July, according to CoStar.
Cities that saw the fastest growth in rents in 2021 are now witnessing the largest pullback.
Palm Beach, Floridda saw the most dramatic slowdown in growth, where asking rents decreased from 30.6% in the fourth quarter of 2021 to 8.2% at the end of August, according to CoStar. Phoenix followed close behind with year-over-year rents dropping to 5.2% in August compared to 21% at the end of 2021. Rents in Tampa, Florida have also seen decreases and Las Vegas also fell double digits so far this year.
Still, nearly half of all renters in the U.S. are paying 30% or more of their annual income on rent, according to a report from Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies.
Marissa DuBee remembers having “sticker shock” when searching for a rental this summer.
DuBee, a 30-year-old social media marketer, and her fiance Troy, a commercial truck driver, had been renting a fully-furnished, 1,700 square foot, three-bedroom home in Greentown, Pennsylvania, for $1,250 a month. However, she told ABC News that their landlord decided to cash in on the hot-housing market this spring and sell the home, which meant they had to move into the basement of her mother’s house until they could find an affordable rental.
“It’s always tough to go back once you’ve been out on your own,” she said. “And we were very fortunate and lucky enough that my mom let us live there with open arms.”
DuBee said they currently pay $1,300 a month for a much smaller rental in the same town; a single-wide mobile home with three bedrooms. She said the two are trying to save as much as they can for their November 2023 wedding.
“The both of us are working as hard as we can to make ends meet to plan the wedding of our dreams. It definitely is challenging especially with the cost of everything just going up, but in the end we know it’ll all be worth it,” DuBee said.
Housing accounts for about one-third of inflation. The Consumer Price Index reached an annual rate of 8.3% in August, the highest in nearly 40 years, the Labor Department said. Average hourly earnings rose 5.2% in August from a year ago.
With a rental income of $4,000 a month, 22-year-old Grace Villiano thought she and her roommate would have plenty of options when they were looking for an apartment in Manhattan, New York. What they found instead was intense competition and bidding wars for too few apartments.
“Every apartment we would schedule an open house to see would be sent into contract within 20 minutes of us contacting the property,” Villiano said. “We would have people walking in front of us offering multiple thousands above asking. It was honestly, overall, very frustrating that we felt we could barely get our foot in the door and that we would ultimately have to agree to an apartment without being able to see it or perhaps even see a floor plan.”
While rent prices are showing signs of stabilizing in some markets, New York City rents remain at a record high. This summer, the average monthly rent in Manhattan topped $5,000 for the first time, according to a report by the real estate appraiser, Miller Samuel.
A New York City property manager, with over 2,000 rental units in Manhattan, said inflation is also impacting landlords. Speaking with ABC News on the condition of anonymity, the property manager said, “We’re paying more for utilities like water and gas, more for maintenance and staff, which is the main reason why rents have remained elevated.”
The property manager also said current rents in the city may seem artificially higher than they truly are because they are being compared with prices during the height of the pandemic, when many landlords were slashing rents and offering major perks to lure renters back to big cities.
For many Americans, rising mortgage rates continue to complicate the question of whether to buy or rent, experts said. In some markets, mortgage payments are the highest on record relative to monthly rent.
According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, the median monthly mortgage payment was almost one-and-a-half-times as much as the median monthly asking rent in the second quarter.
Analysts said that may have forced many people, especially first-time home buyers, to hold off on buying a home, adding further pressure on rental prices.
But there are reasons for optimism. Analysts said a record volume of apartment construction over the next year could help ease a supply crunch, which in turn, would work to keep rental prices in check.
CoStar projects rent growth will continue to slow in the coming months, ending the year 6.2% higher than last year. Things are expected to decelerate even further in 2023, when CoStar projects rents to rise 4.9%.
While renters don’t have much control over rising prices, experts said renewing your current lease will likely give you the smallest increase in rent, since renewal rates typically tend to be lower than rents being offered to new renters. They they also recommend locking in a longer-term lease to avoid higher annual rent increases.
(WASHINGTON) — The 2022 primary season is coming to a close with the cycle’s final contests being held Tuesday in New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Delaware.
All eyes are on New Hampshire as the state features some of the most competitive races in the nation.
One of New Hampshire’s Senate seats is up for grabs with Democrat Maggie Hassan seeking reelection and Republicans believe they can pick up the seat as part of their drive to retake control of Congress.
With New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu opting not to run in the GOP Senate primary, a crowded Republican field emerged as a result. GOP retired Army Brig. Gen. Don Bolduc and state Senate President Chuck Morse are seen as the leading candidates.
Bolduc has become known for his hard-line views. In the past, he has called Sununu a “Chinese Communist sympathizer,” has pushed for the appeal of the 17th Amendment codifying direct popular election of U.S. senators and has raised abolishing the FBI.
Meanwhile, the GOP establishment in the Granite State hopes that Morse can defeat Bolduc in the primary. Morse is running on issues including inflation and parents’ rights in education that voters have said are important to them this election cycle.
Meanwhile, Democrats have also meddled in the New Hampshire Senate race boosting Bolduc, who they see as the weakest candidate to go up against Hassan in the general election. This is a similar tactic that has been played out in other competitive midterm elections where Democrats, during the primary, try to elevate the most right-wing candidate who may then prove weaker with the broader electorate in the general election.
The battle for control of the House also runs through New Hampshire, as the state’s only two congressional districts are in play.
In the state’s highly competitive 1st Congressional District, Democratic incumbent Rep. Chris Pappas must defend his seat against whoever emerges as the Republican nominee in the GOP primary. Although there are several candidates in the race, the top two players are former Trump White House adviser Matt Mowers and former White House press aide Karoline Leavitt.
Although both candidates are supporters of former President Donald Trump, Mowers has called for regular audits of elections but acknowledges that Joe Biden won the 2020 election, while Leavitt pushes false claims about the 2020 election.
The GOP primary in the district has also caused a divide among Republican leadership House GOP leadership. Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Minority Whip Steve Scalise have backed Mowers, while GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik has endorsed Leavitt, her former press secretary.
As for the state’s 2nd Congressional District, the two frontrunners are Keene Mayor George Hansel and former Hillsborough County Treasurer Robert Burns. Whoever emerges as the winner will face off against Democratic Rep. Annie Kuster.
In Rhode Island’s gubernatorial race, all the action is in the Democratic primary.
Gov. Dan McKee is looking to win a full term after moving from lieutenant governor following then-Gov. Gina Raimondo’s appointment to Biden’s cabinet in 2021. But although McKee has been the sitting governor since 2001, the road to securing the Democratic nomination won’t be easy. Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea and former CVS Health executive Helena Foulkes are also seen as strong candidates in the Democratic primary for governor.
In the state’s 2nd Congressional District, Democratic Rep. Jim Langevin is retiring, leaving the seat open. The leading candidate in the race is Rhode Island General Treasurer Seth Magaziner. Throughout his campaign, he has spoken on protecting abortion rights and social security.
(DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.) — A “cruel prank” at a high school in Florida that created a panic in the cafeteria just a day after threatening graffiti was discovered in a bathroom stall has led authorities to press charges against the “pranksters” and recommend expulsion for all involved.
The troubling incident began last Thursday at Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, Florida, when the Daytona Beach Police Department were made aware of a specific threat that had been written on one of the bathroom stalls in the school which caused them to start an investigation.
“The school and DBPD reviewed video and identified two students that had entered into the bathroom when the graffiti was discovered,” the Daytona Beach Police Department said in a statement released on social media. “These students were interviewed by law enforcement and denied any involvement … After a thorough investigation, it was determined that no threat existed, however we added additional law enforcement presence as a precaution.”
But it was on Friday when police say that two different groups of students decided to “capitalize on the threat from the day before” by collaborating with each other to incite a mass panic within the school.
Authorities allege that the two groups can be seen on surveillance cameras inside the school working together to get into specific positions at different locations inside the cafeteria in carefully timed movements, police say.
“Several female students walk towards the school administrator laughing and smiling, all the way, up until they reached the administrator, at which point one of the females tells the administrator that someone had a gun,” allege the DBPD in their statement. “At this same time, one of the male kids, already positioned near the exit to the cafeteria, waited until the female student made the statement, then looked at her and ran out of the building, causing a large crowd to follow him.”
Furthermore, police say that video of the individuals who they suspect orchestrated the entire incident indicate that neither the male nor female students “ever observed a gun or flinched as you would expect when shots had just been fired.”
“At no time in the video, does anyone stand on a table and present a gun, or fire shots,” authorities confirmed.
The Daytona Beach Police Department said that they have been working non-stop on this investigation since the incident by tracking down leads, reviewing video, identifying people who could be involved and conducting interviews.
“We have identified everyone involved and have interviewed nearly all of them, and so far, when presented with the video (which clearly shows the area and everyone’s movements), no one has been able to point out the guy on the table, a gun, or the moment the shots would have been fired,” said the DBPD. “Stories have changed from seeing the guy, or a gun, to ‘they just heard there was one.’ This entire incident appears to have been a cruel prank by several students that has now gotten out of control due to internet trolls, miss-informed people and in some cases, people that are not even in Florida, or have kids that go to school at Mainland.”
In spite of this incident ultimately being a false alarm, police have confirmed that they will increase their law enforcement presence at the school.
Authorities did not name those involved with the incident or say how many people they were charging but did say that the “pranksters” have charges pending for making a false report concerning the use of firearms in a violent manner against a person or persons, which is a second-degree felony in the state of Florida.
The Daytona Beach Police Department also confirmed that expulsion from the school will be recommended for all involved.
Police concluded their statement by reminding people not to re-share posts on social media containing unverified information and asking witnesses with information to come directly to them rather than posting it on social media.
Said the Daytona Beach Police Department: “We cannot locate every single post online and this only delays our response and investigation.”
(WASHINGTON) — Inflation data released on Tuesday revealed that prices rose slightly in August, worsening the cost woes for U.S. households as the Federal Reserve readies to decide on another interest rate hike next week.
The data calls into question whether inflation has peaked.
On a monthly basis, the consumer price index rose 0.1% in August, inching upward from the flat month-to-month movement in July, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The consumer price index, or CPI, rose 8.3% over the past year in August, a slight slowdown from 8.5% in July, according to the bureau.
The data arrives a little more than a week before Federal Reserve officials meet to determine what investors expect to be another borrowing cost increase aimed at fighting inflation.
The Fed has instituted a series of aggressive interest rate hikes in recent months as it tries to slash price increases by slowing the economy and choking off demand. But the approach risks tipping the U.S. into an economic downturn and putting millions out of work.
The rate increases appear to have slowed key sectors of the economy, sending mortgage rates higher and slowing the construction of new homes, for instance.
But other indicators suggest the U.S. economy continues to hum. U.S. hiring fell from its breakneck pace but remained robust in August, with the economy adding 315,000 jobs and the unemployment rate rising to 3.7% as more people sought work, according to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in early September.
Speaking at a conference held by the conservative-leaning Cato Institute, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said Thursday that the central bank must act “forthrightly, strongly” to dial back inflation, leading many economists to expect another 75-basis point interest rate hike from the central bank later this month.
The Fed is performing a “delicate balancing act,” said Scott Schuh, an economics professor at the University of West Virginia. “The Fed is raising rates but trying to avoid an increase in the unemployment rate.”
“It seems somewhat reasonable to expect the inflation rate to continue to come down for the next few months and quarters,” he added.
Prices in some areas of the economy have already fallen significantly.
The national average price for a gallon of gas stood at $3.72 on Monday, having fallen well below a peak of $5.01 in mid-June, according to AAA.
Consumer expectations for inflation have fallen significantly too, according to data released by the New York Federal Reserve on Monday.
In August, the median of consumer responses showed that they expect inflation to fall to 5.7% in one year and 2.8% in three years, a New York Federal Reserve survey showed. Those figures were down from 6.2% and 3.2%, respectively, in July.
(WASHINGTON) — The release of inflation data on Tuesday will show whether near-historic inflation in the nation continues to slow.
The data, which will reveal how prices moved in August, arrives little more than a week before Federal Reserve officials meet to determine what investors expect to be another borrowing cost increase aimed at fighting inflation.
The most recent data from the consumer price index, or CPI, showed a slowdown of price increases. The CPI rose 8.5% over the past year as of July, a marked slowdown from 9.1% in June, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The August report is expected to show that the CPI rose 8% year-over-year in August, continuing its descent from the peak in June, according to a Bloomberg survey of economists.
The Fed has instituted a series of aggressive interest rate hikes in recent months as it tries to slash price increases by slowing the economy and choking off demand. But the approach risks tipping the U.S. into an economic downturn and putting millions out of work.
The rate increases appear to have slowed key sectors of the economy, sending mortgage rates higher and slowing the construction of new homes, for instance.
But other indicators suggest the U.S. economy continues to hum. U.S. hiring fell from its breakneck pace but remained robust in August, with the economy adding 315,000 jobs and the unemployment rate rising to 3.7% as more people sought work, according to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in early September.
Speaking at a conference held by the conservative-leaning Cato Institute, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said Thursday that the central bank must act “forthrightly, strongly” to dial back inflation, leading many economists to expect another 75-basis point interest rate hike from the central bank later this month.
The Fed is performing a “delicate balancing act,” said Scott Schuh, an economics professor at the University of West Virginia. “The Fed is raising rates but trying to avoid an increase in the unemployment rate.”
“It seems somewhat reasonable to expect the inflation rate to continue to come down for the next few months and quarters,” he added.
Prices in some areas of the economy have already fallen significantly.
The national average price for a gallon of gas stood at $3.72 on Monday, having fallen well below a peak of $5.01 in mid-June, according to AAA.
Consumer expectations for inflation have fallen significantly too, according to data released by the New York Federal Reserve on Monday.
In August, the median of consumer responses showed that they expect inflation to fall to 5.7% in one year and 2.8% in three years, a New York Federal Reserve survey showed. Those figures were down from 6.2% and 3.2%, respectively, in July.
(NEW YORK) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health alert on Friday that common respiratory viruses circulating this fall could lead to a rise in a rare, but serious condition that usually affects children called acute flaccid myelitis, AFM. This condition causes weakness that starts in the arms or legs and can lead to permanent paralysis or become life-threatening in severe cases.
AFM is known to occur every other year and is most common from August through November, according to the CDC. Before 2020, confirmed AFM cases were increasing in 2014, 2016, and 2018 growing from 120, 153 and 238 in these years.
The picture of AFM changed in 2020 when only 33 cases were confirmed. This is believed to be the effect of efforts aimed at mitigating COVID-like physical distancing and masking that led to fewer respiratory viral infections overall. As of early September 2022, 13 cases of AFM have been identified across five states.
But raising concern now is that a specific strain of a virus in the Enterovirus family that is linked to AFM, called EV-D68, has been reported in higher proportions compared to previous years on surveillance testing, the CDC said in the health alert on Friday. Because the neurological complications of AFM occur after the initial respiratory viral infection, there is concern that AFM cases could be on the rise in the coming weeks.
Prevention measures that slow the spread of many viruses can also prevent the viruses that are linked to AFM. The CDC recommends practicing routine hand washing, avoid sharing food or drinks with people who aren’t feeling well, sanitizing surfaces after use by someone who may be sick, and consider wearing a mask around others when experiencing cold-like symptoms.
What are early signs of acute flaccid myelitis
“The warning sign is often, you know, a child who’s recovering from a routine illness and then the recovery stops looking like what you would expect – they’re now getting worse again, and especially if they become weak,” Dr. Matt Elrick, assistant professor of neurology at the Kennedy Krieger Institute who specializes in AFM, told ABC News.
But Elrick said recognizing new weaknesses in kids may be easier said than done because kids may not tell you that they are having weakness in their arms or legs, and instead may say the affected limb hurts, stop using it altogether, or simply appear very tired. This vague onset can make early recognition difficult or delayed.
Still, Elrick said the threat of AFM should not cause panic among caregivers and AFM is rare, noting that asthma flare ups are a more common complication of these viruses compared to AFM.
“This is exceptionally rare even during an outbreak so it’s not something that should necessarily keep everyone up at night. But if your child has an illness and was recovering and is now getting worse again, or not behaving in the way that you might expect the normal recovery from illness to be, that’s a good reason to go see the pediatrician and sort out what’s going on,” Elrick said.
The CDC also said to see a health care provider immediately if you or your child have problems breathing or suddenly have limb weakness and to keep all asthma action plans up to date.
(NEW YORK) — Police fatally shot a Michigan man after he allegedly killed his wife and dog, and wounded his daughter, according to law enforcement officials.
Police responded to a call around 4 a.m. Sunday from a woman who had allegedly been shot by her dad, whom police identified as 53-year-old Igor Lanis, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office said.
After officers arrived at the home, they heard gunshots and began to approach the residence when the suspect emerged from the front door and began firing at them with a shotgun, police said.
A Walled Lake police officer and an Oakland County Sheriff’s deputy returned fire, striking and killing Lanis, according to authorities.
Officers said they saw the 25-year-old woman who called 911 at the front door “attempting to crawl from the home” before dragging her to safety, authorities said.
“She stated that her dad shot her and her mother,” the sheriff’s office wrote. “She was transported to an area hospital and rushed into emergency surgery.”
“Currently, the daughter has been stabilized, but obviously she has super traumatic injuries from a shotgun blast to her back and legs,” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said during a news conference Monday.
Law enforcement officials searched the home and discovered the body of a 56-year-old woman who had been “shot multiple times in the back, and it appears that she was also attempting to flee out of the front door,” the sheriff’s office said.
The family dog had also been “shot multiple times and killed,” according to authorities.
The Oakland County Special Investigations Unit and the Walled Lake Police Department are conducting an investigation.
(LOS ANGELES) — Rapper PnB Rock, an up-and-coming hip-hop artist from Philadelphia, was fatally shot Monday afternoon during a robbery at Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles in South Los Angeles, police sources told ABC News. He was 30 years old.
Although the Los Angeles Police Department did not officially name the victim, sources at the LAPD told ABC News on Monday evening that the rapper, whose legal name is Rakim Hasheem Allen, was the victim seen in social media videos of the incident captured by witnesses.
The rapper was at the South LA eatery with his girlfriend, according to his social media account, where he shared that he was eating at Roscoe’s in a since-deleted message.
Police said they received a call about a shooting at 1:23 p.m. ET and found a male victim with gunshot wounds. He was transported to an area hospital. According to the LAPD, the victim and a woman were eating in the restaurant when they were approached by at least one suspect who pulled a firearm demanding property. The suspect shot the victim multiple times, removed property and left in a getaway car, according to police.
“What occurred was the victim, along with a female witness, were in this area eating at a restaurant when they were approached by at least one suspect, who brandished a firearm and demanded property from the victim,” LAPD Capt. Kelly Muniz said during a Monday afternoon press conference. “The suspect then shot the victim multiple times, and removed property and then left the location in a getaway car.”
Muniz said that multiple shots were fired, and that others on the scene were not injured.
When asked about reports that Allen shared his location on social media ahead of the robbery, Muniz said, “We always are gonna look into the social media,” but added that police couldn’t “verify” that yet.
Police said they are examining surveillance video to identify potential suspects.
Allen released a number of hits that charted on the Billboard Hot 100 and was featured in XXL Magazine’s Freshman Class of rappers to watch in 2017.
